"A player Arteta really wants" - Journalist says Arsenal are desperate to beat Newcastle United and sign 24-year-old star
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly interested in adding Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta to his roster ahead of the new season. The Gunners manager is touted as a very strong admirer of the Brazilian playmaker.
Paqueta, who has three years left on his current deal, has turned a lot of heads with his performances in the last two seasons. Establishing himself as the creative focal point of Lyon, he has registered 21 goals and 13 assists in 78 appearances across competitions.
According to Media Foot, Arsenal are leading the race to sign Paqueta and have held talks with both the player and his club. The report also says Lyon are open to offers in the region of €50 million for the 24-year-old, who was bought for €20 million from AC Milan in 2020.
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Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Ben Jacobs provided insight into the developing transfer interest in Paqueta. He said:
"Paqueta is a player Arteta really wants, though. It won't be an easy negotiation with Lyon, and Newcastle have enquired, too. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is going to hold out for at least €55 million and even asked for closer to €70 million back in January."
Paqueta, who has earned 33 international caps for Brazil, is expected to strengthen Arsenal's midfield and provide competition to first-team regular Martin Odegaard.
Meanwhile, the north London outfit are reportedly monitoring the situation of Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (via Gazzetta dello Sport), Leicester City's Youri Tielemans (via Give Me Sport) and Lille's Amadou Onana (via journalist Ignazio Genuardi).
The Gunners have completed the signings of Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos this summer.
Arsenal interested in Oleksandr Zinchenko
According to The Athletic, Arsenal are in contact with Manchester City over a potential transfer of left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko. The report also states that the Premier League champions will sanction the 25-year-old's sale only if their valuation is met.
Arsenal have begun working on a deal to sign Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko as per @David_Ornstein.
Despite no significant movement in their pursuit of Marc Cucurella in recent weeks, it is believed that City would be open to selling Zinchenko if their valuation is met. https://t.co/bN2KZOnokw
The Gunners are said to be prioritizing the Ukrainian after they're set to miss out on Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez. According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have reached an agreement for the player.
Zinchenko, who has two years left on his deal at the Etihad, has won 11 trophies with the Cityzens, including four Premier League titles. He has featured in 128 games across competitions for Pep Guardiola's side, registering two goals and 12 assists.